resolutions for the new year

And habits I want to make.

I've never been one for drastic New Year's Resolutions; rather, I prefer to set realistic goals for changes, or put healthier habits into effect. In the past, I've made resolutions to stick to a consistent workout schedule, give myself a designated day for self-care, or to read more books for fun. (More on that last one here.) However, these resolutions have been related to either physical or external components of my life. For 2018, I want to put more emphasis on the mental and emotional parts.

Days before 2017 ended, I made the decision to go back to school — in a sense. Even before I graduated in April, I'd been toying with the idea of pursuing further education. But I hadn't decided if I wanted to do some sort of certification program, an associate degree, or (even more ambitious) a master's. I did quite a bit of research about various courses of study, but eventually came to the decision that a certification program makes the most sense for me with where I'm at right now. I'm spending five weeks learning the ins and outs of digital marketing, and started my coursework a few weeks ago.

Which brings me to Resolution #1: providing a solid foundation for a future career. I realized that I had been passive and stagnant about my career goals, and I hadn't been as active in pursuing them as I could be. I am a firm believer in relentlessly chasing what one wants, so it was time to practice what I preach. (And, truth be told, I'm kind of excited to go back to the student mindset.)

The second change is more closely tied to my mental health. Ending a toxic relationship was one of the biggest emotional changes to come out of 2017, which I talked about in the annual "year in review" post... but there are still some lingering anxieties that I need to tackle. Without going too much into detail, I've decided that now is the best time to work on coping with my anxiety and understanding what can cause it to spike. I've been meeting with a counselor, and while it's still in the early stages, I feel that this is a step in the right direction.

Resolution #2: finding successful mechanisms to calm my anxiety. Early on, I thought that it would lessen with time; and I soon realized that hadn't been the case. It's another piece of my life that I need to actively work at improving. We're only a month in to 2018, but I believe that this will be the year of providing a stronger mental foundation for the years to come.